Analysis • Strategy • Global Engagement.
Building Trust,
Shaping Policy
Strategy, Policy & Outreach Executive Leader with 20+ years of experience and a track record of advancing public diplomacy, regional engagement, and international policy initiatives across diverse sectors.
Career Highlights
Merissa Khurma is currently a non-resident fellow at the Baker Institute at Rice University. She was the program director of the Middle East Program (MEP) at the Wilson Center (2018-2025) where she led programing on four key pillars: the region’s geopolitics and U.S. National Security, economic development in MENA, sociopolitical developments and civil society as well as the Middle East Women’s Initiative.
Merissa has leadership experience working in a range of policy initiatives and projects in the Middle East and Africa that focused on political risk, economic development and digitization, the refugees and migration, education, youth and gender development, governance and leadership.
Additionally, Merissa served as a diplomat directing the Office of Jordan’s Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein (2010- 2013) and serving as director of the Jordan Information Bureau in Washington, D.C. (2003-2010).
Merissa has a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, a Master of Science in international security and foreign policy from Georgetown University, and a bachelor of art in political science from McGill University. She is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University with a focus on leadership. Merissa speaks Arabic and French.
Core Skills
Strategic Planning & Execution
Foreign Policy Development
Advocacy Strategy & Implementation
Stakeholder Engagement
Cross-Sector Partnership Building
Program Design & Oversight
Fundraising & Resource Mobilization
Policy Research & Analysis
Government & Diplomatic Relations
Thought Leadership Development
Strategic Communication
Team Leadership & Collaboration
An Honest Take
“Throughout my career, I’ve been thrown into “startup” environments that required building teams, rebooting projects or sometimes even going back to the drawing board and starting from scratch. It taught me how to navigate uncertainty, how to connect, build trust and co-create. It also empowered me to test new ideas and hone new skills with each iteration. Today, I continue the journey with more alacrity and drive and am ready to share my knowledge with you. Let’s connect!”
Industries
Ecommerce
Education
Legal
Startups
Task/Activity:
Key Actions Taken:
- Issued technology stipends for employees with personal computers
- Produced and distributed how-to videos for OpenVPN setup and Microsoft Teams usage
- Provided one-on-one phone support for employees needing additional help
- Maintained operations across customer service, purchasing, and logistics
Case Study
Seamless Remote Work Transition During COVID-19
Situation:
In early 2020, COVID-19 forced businesses to transition to remote work virtually overnight. Our e-commerce company faced immediate challenges: a shortage of company-issued laptops and a workforce unfamiliar with remote tools like VPN and Microsoft Teams. Business continuity was critical, especially as demand for essential products surged.
Results:
- Zero disruption in daily business operations
- Rapid upskilling of staff in remote collaboration tools
- Hundreds of thousands saved daily by avoiding downtime
- Strengthened company resilience and digital adaptability
Testimonials
What People Say
“I have the privilege of working with Linda at Paper Mart and find her to be extremely talented as Director of Applications Development. Linda has an unique talent of turning vision into reality. Her attention to detail is impeccable. She excels in developing innovative and creative solutions. It is truly a pleasure to work side by side with Linda.”
“Few people have the opportunity to work with a person like Linda. She is clever, creative and problem solver. As a program developer, Linda can quickly understand the needs of the end user and develop solutions that are above expectations. As a manager, I was able to witness how she kept an effective and efficient team. I highly recommend her.”
